The first bit of news was Fred "Frankenberry" Thompson announcing that he's dropping out of the race. Frankenberry sounded better when people were just speculating about his potential candidacy, but as soon as he made his announcement on Leno, it all went downhill. When will people learn that talk shows are generally the kiss of death? I mean, except for The Colbert Report, because all guests on that show get the "Colbert bump".

Fred Thompson's plans to announce his candidacy for the 2008 presidential race once again brings up the question of "equal time" provisions that are in place to assure a single candidate is not given more airtime on television than anyone else.

Thompson, a Republican and former Tennessee senator, played DA Arthur Branch on NBC's Law and Order for five seasons. NBC, in keeping with the provisions, has stopped airing episodes that feature Thompson, but TNT, whose schedule overflows with Law and Order reruns, will keep airing the Thompson episodes.

Lorrie Morgan, a country music singer whom Fred dated, said, "women love a soft place to lay and a strong pair of hands to hold us."

First of all, I think it's great that Freddy Fred knows how to treat a lady. I'm someone who could use a few lessons in treating women right, since the last two I dated got loose from their chains, ran into the road, and were both hit by a garbage truck. Also, you have to feed them every day, which is sometimes easy to forget.

Sam Waterston wants a promotion. For the last 13 years Waterston has played Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy on the long-running (some say too long) NBC drama Law & Order. Now that co-star, and former U.S. Senator, Fred Thompson (who played District Attorney Arthur Branch) is leaving the show to run for president of the United States his job position is now open. And, it seems that Waterston's McCoy wants to move into the slot.

According to an anonymous source close to the show, Waterston is negotiating to have his character step into the D.A. role when Law & Order returns at the beginning of 2008. How McCoy would slip into the position, as well as his replacement, have yet to be determined. When asked to confirm this news L&O creator Dick Wolf as well as Waterston declined to comment.

While actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson, who plays D.A. Arthur Branch on Law and Order, has not officially announced whether or not he plans on running as a potential Republican presidential candidate, NBC prez Kevin Reilly says it is "highly unlikely" that Thomson will return for the series' 18th season.

So does this mean he's actually going to run? Since I can't read Fred Thompson's mind, that's tough to say. But as Hollywood Reporter points out, the threat of a writers strike means many series will begin filming earlier than usual, which means Thompson will have to decide sooner rather than later if he's going to stay with the series.

Here's an interesting twist to the already-exploding 2008 presidential campaign: If former U.S. Senator and current Law & Order star Fred Thompson decides to run for president, all episodes of L&O with him in it will be pulled from the air for the duration of his stay in the race.

Why? Because of the FCC's equal time rules, says The Washington Post. It's a fairness policy that the governing body has had for decades; it ensures that every candidate in a political race has an equal opportunity to promote themselves. The rule doesn't apply to newscasts, interview shows, and news-oriented events (like debates, I'd imagine), but it definitely applies to entertainment shows like L&O. This isn't a unique circumstance; the article cites Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan as two candidates whose movies were pulled from TV during their political campaigns.

Actor and former republican U.S. Senator Fred Thompson is reportedly considering running for president in 2008. Thompson was a U.S. Senator for Tennessee from 1994-2003. He decided not to run for re-election when he was cast as District Attorney Arthur Branch on Law & Order in 2002. He has also appeared in that same role on SVU and Criminal Intent, as well as short-lived shows, Conviction and Trial by Jury. Thompson definitely has that "I could kick your ass, punk"-thing about him.

Thompson has an unusual past that will make him an interesting candidate. Besides appearing in a big ol' pile of television shows and movies, he also has some serious experience in Washington, D.C. Before becoming an actor or a Senator, he was an attorney and was on the Watergate committee. If he does join the race for president, he'll be running against fellow republicans Rudolph Giuliani and John McCain for the nomination. And, in 2005, he returned to politics briefly when President Bush appointed him to be an advisor for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts during his confirmation process.

Fred Thompson, a former senator from Tennessee and the actor best
known for the role of District Attorney Arthur Branch on Law and Order, recently signed on to ABC
Radio as a "special program host and senior analyst." When he's not providing commentary, he'll be
filling in for venerable radio icon Paul Harvey when Harvey is on vacation. I just hope Thompson can make those air
purification systems sound as appealing as Harvey can. I've purchased so many of them I'm afraid I'll be contaminated
if I try to leave my apartment.